Livestrong cancer charity drops Lance Armstrong name from title

AUSTIN, Texas (REUTERS) - The Lance Armstrong Foundation has formally dropped the name of the disgraced cyclist from its title, the organisation said on Wednesday, marking the latest move by the cancer charity to distance itself from him following doping charges.

The foundation that has been informally known for years as Livestrong - the word adorning its well-known yellow wristbands - filed paperwork with the Texas Secretary of State for a name change that became effective on Oct 30, said foundation spokesman Katherine McLane. It is now the Livestrong Foundation.

"For most of its life, the organization has been known as the Livestrong Foundation, but making that change official is necessary and appropriate during a time of change for the organization," McLane told Reuters.

Armstrong founded the charity in 1997, after he was diagnosed with testicular cancer and before he first won the Tour de France. Since then, it has raised some US$500 million (S$612 million) and has evolved from a focus on testicular cancer research to addressing the needs of survivors of all cancers.